The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1887-10-20

estiy, springing up and walking about
the room as if her mind were not follow.
ing her footsteps. gr
In a few weeks the Rutherfords had
| moved into smaH downtown house
with all the available rooms "let.n and
poor old Mr.. Rutherford was trying fee
bly, to discharge the duties of small
salaried office into which his friends had
put him.
Polly's mother seemed quite crushed
at first, but the girl herself was buoyanr
with hope, as every young girl has right
to be, no matter what her style of living
is-or is not.
Thanks to Mr.. McIlwaine, she had her
hundred dollars now to invest in an en-.
terprise on which she had set her heart
far more than ii had eyer been set on the
pearls. And along with the hundred dol
lars she had also to invest in it youth,
health, good sense, brave spirit, and a
proud independence. What else needed
she for happy and Successful life }?
Her enterprise began with visit, has.
ket in hand, to seven or eight of the best
city hotels, and as many of the restau
rants; to all of them she offered daily,
weekly or tri-weekly supply of her dainty
little beaten biscuit, such as she had
learned to make down in eastern Virgin
ia, from a famous old cook, who had in
slave days belonged to her fathers fam
lily. She was successful almost up to her
own expectations, and far beyond her
mothers, and her elation could not but
infuse some hope into that ladY's weak
spirit
We must have new name for your
biscuit, miss" said one wise old restau-
rant keeper; "what shall we call them -
Call tnem,' said Polly, hesitatng and
laughing, "call them the PoIly-woly-
wnkum biscuit"
Tie Polly-wolly- -winkum biScait got to
be the fashion that winter; after hiring
one good cook at what seemed ruinous
wages, second and third had to be en-
gagged ; but Polly put on her great kitchen
apron, tied mp her abundant hair into a
h!gh knot, AMI spent tour hours ot every
day IN her kitchen herself; no plea of
other engagements, ~ prriense that tie
cocks would do as We'll without her no
tempting ottar OF sIeigh-ri1eS, no tlatter-
n@ invitations OF any sort could make the
little mistress II the bakery break her
rule, or neglect her work. Naturally the
biscuit grew in favor.
ine last time visited the 7 Poiv-wo!.y-
wlnkum bakery, it had moved It's quarters
to large, well-light"l Kitchen, with a
classroom attached Yes, a classroom :
for Polly had agreed to teach cooking TO
a number OF rich men, daughters at a
good round price per girl, and, not to lose
the chance of doing good because she
was poor, she selected a dozen poor girls,
to whom she gave another hour week,
without pay.
Mr.. Paul McIlwane was my cicerone
on the occasion of my visit and when
had admired and praised until the Eng
lish language was exhausted, he said,
gravely:
Nevertheless suit is pending in
court against the Poliy-wolly ly -winkum
bakery; it is charged that Miss Ruther-
ford is dishonesty withholding from all
the young gentlemen of her acquaintance
the time and thought and interest they be-
lieve to be their due"
"That is a dreadful charge, Polly
winkum," said l. "What are you going
to do about it ?''
"rll engage Mr.. McIlwaine to defend
me-" replied the little bakeress, running
to look into an oven. But somehow her
face was red even before she opened the
oven door Good Cheer.